


Home Sweet Home

by dennih23



Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 03:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7417492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dennih23/pseuds/dennih23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter needs a little tlc</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: Thank you sherylyn, all errors belong to me.
> 
> A/N: Fills the Backrubs/Massages square on my H/C Bingo Card

El pulled the sheet of double chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and set them on the cooling rack. She adjusted the temperature gauge on the oven and popped in a tray of lasagna. Her boys would be home soon from their camping trip and she knew they would both be hungry after a couple of days in the wilderness living on franks and beans.

She had started chopping up greens for a salad when she heard the front door open. 

“Mommy!” Neal came charging into the kitchen and threw his arms around her. 

El smiled and kissed the top of her son’s head. He was covered in splotches of dirt and smelled of fish.

She ruffled his hair. “How was the camping trip? Did you have fun?”

Neal nodded and stared at the goodies sitting on the countertop. “I’m hungry, can I have a cookie?” He reached out to grab one, but El stopped him.

“First you need to go and get a bath and put on some clean clothes. After dinner you can have a couple and some ice cream. I’ll make sure you get an extra scoop of Rocky Road if you hurry.”

The energetic boy ran off up the stairs. A couple of minutes later she heard the bath water running. 

Ten minutes passed and El wondered where Peter was, she didn’t recall hearing him come in. She put the salad in the refrigerator and went to check if he was still outside. She was walking through the living room when he opened the door.

Her husband looked exhausted and he was filthy. Neal had been dirty, but Peter had three days’ stubble and his hair looked like it was caked in mud. She was just about to ask what happened when he looked at her and sighed, “Remind me to never agree to chaperone a bunch of Boy Scouts on their first camping trip.”

She started to laugh, but stopped when her husband set down the gear he had hauled in, and started to limp in her direction. El met him part way and hugged him. 

“It’s good to be home.” Peter sighed and kissed his wife.

“Hon, what happened?”

“It’s more like what didn’t happen,” Peter huffed out. 

Neal, dripping droplets of water from his hair, appeared at the bottom of the steps. “Daddy fell in the lake.”

El looked wide-eyed at Peter. “What?” 

Peter shook his head. “I had a couple of the boys with me in one of the row boats. One of them wouldn’t sit down, he kept rocking the boat, and . . . well, I stood up and I ended up over the side. I’m still not sure exactly what happened.”

El hugged him tight. “Poor baby, dinner’s almost ready, why don’t you go and get cleaned up and then we’ll eat.”

While Peter went to get cleaned up, Neal helped his mom set the table. He told her all about the camping trip. They went hiking, fishing, and told scary stories around the campfire at night. Neal was telling her about catching a frog when Peter strolled into the kitchen. The family ate dinner while Neal continued to tell El about all the adventures he had while camping. 

They finished eating and Peter cleared the table and did the dishes while El tucked Neal in bed. She had missed not being able to say goodnight to her little man for the last few days and it was good to have him home.

As El closed Neal’s bedroom door, she spied Peter coming up the stairs. He was walking stiffly, his right hand supporting his back. 

“Peter, are you sure you’re okay? You look miserable.”

“I’ll be fine, hon. I just need a night of sleeping in my own bed. One of the campers forgot their air mattress and I gave him mine.”

“You slept on the ground for the last three days? No one had an extra air mattress?”

“No one thought to bring an extra, so I did without. Now every muscle in my neck and back is feeling it. I never want to do that again, I’m getting too old for chasing a bunch of kids around the woods for a few days.”

El took Peter’s hand and lead him into their room. She headed to their bathroom as he crawled into bed. She came back with a bottle of massage oil.

“Peter, roll over.”

“Umm, what?”

“Roll over.” She wagged the bottle at him.

Peter smiled and flipped onto his stomach. He shivered as she trickled the oil over his back. El began rubbing the fluid into his strained muscles. She fanned her hands across his neck and shoulders, slowly working her way down his back and sides. She kept a steady pace until she felt Peter relax under her ministrations.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Peter moaned. “Hon, you have magic hands.”

“Are they as good as yours?” She gave his shoulder a slight smack as she laughed at their favorite joke. She then tickled his ribs, causing Peter to squirm. She gasped when Peter made a quick move that had her underneath him.

Peter gave her a wicked grin, winked, and flexed his fingers. “Now it’s my turn to show you my magic hands.”


End file.
